
The Fatal Error
Created: 27 August
2006 / 4 Elul 5766
Initially posted: 20 October 2006 / 28
Tishrei 5767
Update: 5 January 2009 / 10
Tevet 5769
James 5:19-20 "Brethren, if any of you do
err from the Truth, and one convert him; let him know, that he which
converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from Death,
and shall hide a multitude of sins."
In computer language, a
"fatal error" occurs when "an illegal instruction has been attempted, invalid
data or code has been accessed, or when the privilege level of an operation is
invalid." If you are
working on something important
it is quite distressing to receive this error message, because it can cause your
program to abort and your data may be lost, unless of course you have a
"back-up."
I once experienced this "fatal error" in 1993, while writing my Testimony
of
Walking With The Enemy.
It was so unsettling when
those words
flashed
across my computer screen, but to my great relief a computer tech from
Gateway was
able to help me get back on line. Interestingly, the chapter
I had been working on was
entitled, There is Still Time.
All of this can also apply to
spiritual matters, but the dire consequences of being rejected by God and denied
access to the Kingdom of Heaven, is a much more serious matter
indeed--regardless of the reason. And those who are "lost" can never
be recovered after "The Final Judgment."
In our Day, one of the most
alarming "fatal errors" of all involves the popular belief that Jesus
will return and take the "Church" up to Heaven for a seven year celebration, while the
"remnant" is left to suffer under
the reign of the anti-Christ as they go through "The Great Tribulation."
"The Marriage Supper of
the Lamb," as spoken of in Revelation 19:7-9, is supposed to be an extremely
joyous occasion for those who have the privilege of being
invited to this grand event, but who could celebrate if you honestly believe that "the hundred and forty
and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel," along with
those who have been
"left behind," would be
going
through "a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even
to that same time?!"
There are well
meaning "Christians" on the various sides of this issue, but all of us can't be right.
If you are skeptical
of my views, please at least hear me out, especially if you believe you will not be on
this earth when the Beast of Revelation 13, "causeth all, both small and great,
rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their
foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the
name of the beast, or the number of his name."
The
"church world" associates the Coming of the LORD, with the term rapture--a word
that is not even in the Holy Scriptures! And when you consider the following
definition of "rapture theory," in comparison with what is going on in
many of the churches, it would seem that many "Christians" have already been "raptured,"
but not by God's Spirit.
Rapture: State of being
transported by a lofty (pompous, arrogant, haughty) emotion; ecstasy. (Ecstasy: 1. Intense joy or
delight. 2. A state of emotion so intense that one is carried beyond rational
thought and self-control: an ecstasy of rage. 3. The trance, frenzy, or rapture
associated with mystic or prophetic exaltation.)
Theory: 1. Abstract
reasoning: conjecture, speculation. 2. A belief used as the basis for action:
hypothesis. 3. Something taken to be true without proof: assumption. 4. An
assumption based on limited information or knowledge; a conjecture.
All
who teach the
"Pre-Tribulation Rapture" have to dismiss, confuse, or
just outright misrepresent the
teachings of Jesus. I hope you will
seriously consider
the following dialogue between Jesus and His disciples
from Matthew 24, along with my
commentary; and if you hold to the
view that this key passage applies only to Israel,
and not the "Church," realize, that is a "teaching"
based on the "doctrine of men" and not God!
Matthew 24:1-2 "And
Jesus went out, and departed from the Temple: and His disciples came to Him
for to shew Him the buildings of the Temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye
not all these things? Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one
stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down."
Jesus "openly" spoke
about the coming destruction of that "Holy Site," and His prophetic words came to
pass in
70
AD when the Temple in Jerusalem was completely destroyed, just as the LORD said
it would be.
Matthew 24:3 "And as He sat upon the
Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when
shall these things be? And what shall be the Sign of Thy coming, and of
the End of the world?"
During this "private" discussion Jesus does not
discourage the disciples' questions about the coming destruction of the Temple
in Jerusalem,
nor does He berate them
for asking Him about the "sign
of His coming," and the end of the world, when God will finally destroy the Wicked.
Jesus then proceeds to prepare His disciples for what to expect after He has
departed, and also explains what condition the world will be in prior to His
return for the "Final Judgment."
Matthew 24:4-5 "And
Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many
shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."
Jesus
was warning His
disciples that there
would be a Time marked by such great deception, that even the "very elect," would be
taken in by false prophets and teachers. In other words, God was saying that in
the Final Days, due to the pervasiveness of sin and wickedness during the "Great Apostasy,"
that even His people who truly love Him
could fall under the
power and influence of the Devil himself!
Throughout the ages, there
are many who claimed to be the Messiah--among Jews and Gentiles, alike. In this
current Age, one such "man" who actually
claimed to be "Christ," was David Koresh of Waco, Texas; and even though he was removed from
this earth on 19 April 1993, his "spirit" still lives on in the hearts of
some deceived and wicked men.
Matthew 24:6
"And ye shall hear of wars
and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things
must come to pass, but the end is not yet."
All you have to do is look at a
List of Wars
on the Internet
to see the enormous amount of evidence that Jesus' prophecy is coming to pass. And even though things in this world may look
pretty bleak right now, we must remember that the darkest hour is just before dawn.
Matthew 24:7-8 "For nation shall rise against nation,
and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and
pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the
beginning of sorrows."
These "signs" have been happening for awhile
now, and are increasing in intensity as God has said. Look at the
2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake, which brought about the devastating tsunami;
and Hurricane
Katrina, which totally washed away many things in its path on
29 August 2005.
Matthew 24:9-10
"Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye
shall be hated of all nations for My name's sake. And then shall many be
offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another."
The consequences of being
wrong on this crucial issue of the "Rapture" is an extremely serious
matter indeed, especially when you consider that
people are actually beheaded for their faith
in this Day and Age.
Moreover, people are being
forced to convert to
the religion of Islam under the threat of death, as was with the
hostages from Fox News, who were released by their captors on this day of 27 August 2006.
That incident should be a
wake up call to all those who are asleep in these Final Days, but I fear that
the "sleeping giant" will just roll over, and say we have nothing to worry
about--we will be "raptured" soon.
It is becoming
increasingly evident that there is a growing hatred and discontentment among the
people of this world. God has said that those who are blindly committed to a
false religion and love their sin will despise
those who love Him and His Word.
And this trend will not go away--it will only get worse as the End draws near,
just as Jesus said.
What's so
bizarre, is
that the very reason why Israel is so persecuted and hated by so many, is because they are the
Chosen Nation through whom
the true Messiah came into this world; and yet, as a
people they
continue to reject Jesus Christ--the very One who will save them from their
enemies. But that too, has been foretold in the Holy Scriptures.
Revelation
12:12-17 "Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the
inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! For the Devil is come down unto you,
having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
And when the Dragon saw
that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman (Israel) which brought
forth the man child. (Yeshua HaMashiach, the LORD Jesus Christ.)
And to the woman were
given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into
her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from
the face of the Serpent.
And the Serpent cast out
of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be
carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened
her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the Dragon cast out of his mouth.
And the Dragon was wroth
with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep
the Commandments of God, and have the Testimony of Jesus Christ."
Jesus was saying that God's people who truly love Him would incur the wrath of the Dragon, and
history
has certainly confirmed that fact. But people falsely believe
that true "followers of Christ" are responsible for many of the atrocities
against humanity,
such as the Jewish Holocaust, and the Inquisition sanctioned by the Roman Catholic
Church; but they fail to see that God's
Church did not initiate or acquiesce to the horrible deeds perpetrated
by evil men of that day--Satan and his followers did!
Matthew 24:11 "And
many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many."
There have been liars and deceivers in this world from the beginning, but they have
become much more pervasive in our day, and for
those who have "eyes to see" we are the "final generation" whereby the
prophecies
as given by the LORD Jesus Christ are coming to pass.
Matthew 24:32-35 "Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is
yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So
likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even
at the doors.
Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things
be fulfilled. Heaven and
earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away."
God's Word will remain forever, and I hope you will seriously consider
whether you have been believing the words of men or the Word of God. There are so many
"professing Christians"
teaching things about Jesus that are against the very precepts of God's Word, "Whose
mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they
ought not, for filthy lucre's sake." Titus 1:11
The current wave of false teachers and preachers in the Church world that are popular in
this generation, are "Pastor" Rick
Warren, of the Purpose-Driven Church; Coach Bill McCartney, of the Promise
Keepers; Mel Gibson, creator of "The Passion of the christ," Paul Crouch of TBN, Pat Robertson of CBN, and Benny Hinn--all major conduits through which the Devil
has been working, and they claim to be "Christians!"
Moreover, I contend that
the
"Charismatic/Word of Faith movement," whose tentacles has reached its way into
so many different churches--even the once trusted Southern and Independent
Baptist Churches--is why Satan
is able to deceive the multitudes on such a grand scale.
Matthew 24:12
"And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."
No matter what
others may say, or how they try to re-write history, the US was founded upon the
Word of God, and Christian principles, but I don't see God's love flourishing in our midst.
Sin, selfishness, and the wicked ways of Satan are abounding,
even among God's people!"
Sin has been left
unchecked for so long, and is not soundly renounced or condemned by
modern-day religious leaders or preachers, which has resulted in the
proliferation of "iniquity" in this "land of liberty." And this travesty has enabled, and even encouraged, the infiltration of false teachers
and unrepentant "sinners" into the "body of Christ."
Satan
is fully intent on destroying God's creation any way that he can, and his "angel's of light" are hard at work, but people just
can't see it because they are blinded by their sin. And since the Devil has
added a very sinister dimension to the mix, things are getting out of control.
Matthew 24:13
"But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be
saved."
It
may seem that Satan is winning this war against God and His people, but
always remember, "that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to His purpose," and the "Great Tribulation" may actually be a blessing in disguise for those who are headed in
the wrong direction.
Matthew 24:14 "And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the
world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall The End come."
As long as God keeps the "door" open,
Satan will not be able to prevent the Gospel from being proclaimed throughout
the world so that all Nations can have the opportunity to know the LORD, which
is why the Wicked One and his evil "workers of iniquity" must use the Gospel, albeit
perverted, to lure God's people away from the Truth.
With the advent of the World Wide Web, people all over the world can readily hear the message of
Eternal Salvation,
but realize
the Internet is also a major tool used by the Devil to carry out his evil deeds.
Satan
tried so hard to lead me away from God and into the Darkness, but the LORD never left me; and in spite
of what the Enemy intended, God has given me a Prophecy to share with those who
will receive it.

The
Prophesy of 28 February 1993
"Many
things you have been taught here has been done in secrecy and in Darkness. You
have been taught truth mixed with lies, and the LORD says it will go on no
longer! And you, ("Pastor"--) is the one who has taught the lies, and the LORD
says it will go on no longer in this home.
The LORD
is giving you a chance to turn from your sin, and He is so forgiving that
He will not hold your sin against you if you repent. And if you do not you will
die!
He is my
Husband, and I love Him with a love that cannot be broken. I love you too, but
with a brotherly love. And I beg you to repent!
Everything you have learned here has been tainted with evil, and you cannot hold
on to any of it. The only thing that you can hold on to is the fact that Jesus
Christ died for you, and by His mighty power, God raised Him from the dead.
If you
believe that in your heart, and claim Him as LORD, He will put the same Spirit
that raised Jesus from the dead inside of you, to lead you and guide you into
the Truth!
Light
will overshadow Darkness, and Darkness will not be able to stand in the presence
of God!"
End of Prophecy
Jesus Christ was sent to be
our example, and we should do what He did when He walked this earth; and so
should all who love and serve the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; whether they
be Jew or Gentile.
One day all Israel will be "saved," and when they recognize the Messiah, I hope
I Am here to see it.
But if we are to
actually believe
what the "Pre-Tribulation Rapture" teachers say, Christians will not even be here!
I have been studying and
praying about this issue for some time now,
and due to the serious consequences for those who have been led to believe
the lies about the "End Times," I would like to refute some of the opinions of
others to show why I have come to the conclusions I have.
Paul Becker,
is a staunch
supporter of the "Pre-Tribulation Rapture," and he has even translated his own
version of the Bible, but he makes some of the same serious mistakes
as others who believe as he does.
Consider what Mr.
Becker has to say about this very
important topic: "Are we harping on this? Are we
drumming it too much? Well, satan does not want Christians to be assured of this
Gospel, so he continually sends around his false prophets detracting from, and
refuting this Gospel. Even today as I was preparing these three studies, there
was another e-mail from a person who doesn't believe in 'pre-trib' ...exhorting
me to 'be a berean' and read a certain book by so-n-so. Those kinds of gnats
I swat away from my face, and continue harping-n-drumming at you.
As Paul
says, to be repeating things all the time is no trouble to do, and for you 'it
is safe' (Php 3:1) If satan sends these messengers to me, he certainly is
to you as well. So, I will keep reminding you all of them."
Becker
under-estimates Satan's power, and he shows great disrespect for those who
belong to God. For him to call someone a "false prophet" sent by Satan,
and
a "gnat he swats away from his face" just because they disagree with
his "rapture view," causes me to be skeptical of him.
He
should welcome Godly admonition to be "biblical" in his approach to this highly
controversial subject, but he outright rejects it! He is usually very defensive
when people disagree in other areas too. His attitude is: Ask me any question
and I may answer, but don't question my answers.
Of course there is nothing
wrong with being dogmatic and immovable in areas where God has fully established
the Truth in our hearts, but we should be open to honest dialogue, especially
with fellow believers. Moreover, Becker should be willing to prayerfully change
his views if
it can be proven from God's Word that he has believed a lie.
Paul Becker seems to
be
a sincere believer, but as I continue to read his responses to those who
disagree with him, especially regarding the "Rapture," I see that he is
listening to the "spirit of error."
I don't judge his
heart--that is only for God to do, but he
really needs to bow before the LORD so he can find out what sin and evil influence is
in his life. And I Am sure his love for "Star Wars" has a blinding
effect.
Here's more
of
Becker's views on the Rapture: "But,
at the present time there is a restraint against Satan's full onslaught. The
same One Who, "convict[s] the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of
judgment" (Jn 16:8) as God said, "My Spirit shall not always strive with man.."
(Gen 6:3) It is "He Who now restrains." (2 Ths 2:7) But then He, along with the
Church He indwells (Rom 8:9), will be "taken out of the way." (2 Ths 2:7) "For
those willing to accept it, these (2 Ths 2:7-8, Dan 9:27) are the most clear
Scripture passages indicating the "pre-Trib" Rapture of the Church."
I Am not willing to accept it! Becker's opinions are based on conjecture and
pure speculation, and those passages are not as clear as he claims. Consider
them for yourself and see if they are so easily understood.
2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 “For
the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let,
until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom
the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the
brightness of his coming:”
Daniel 9:27
“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of
the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the
overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the
consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”
Those verses require prayerful study, and are not as plain as Becker
claims. Consider this from Daniel 12 and 1
Thessalonians 4, which gives a more realistic depiction of what will happen
in the "Final Days."
Daniel 12:1-4a
"And at that Time shall
Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of Thy
people: and there shall be a Time of trouble, such as never was since there was
a nation even to that same time: and at that Time Thy people shall be
delivered, every one that shall be found written in The Book.
And many of them that
sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting Life, and some
to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as
the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the
stars for ever and ever. But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the
Book, even to the Time of the End..."
1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 "For
if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which
sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the LORD, that
we which are alive and
remain unto the Coming of the LORD shall not prevent (or precede) them which are asleep.
For the LORD
Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel,
and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we
which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds, to meet the LORD in the air: and so shall we ever be with the LORD."
Amen!
Those passages clearly
contradict what the "pre-tribulation" advocates teach about the
Coming of the LORD, and the Resurrection. And they have to totally disregard the Word of God that proves them
wrong in order to make their theory fit with what they believe and say.
I Am certain
Christians will be on this earth at the "Time of the end," and one
day that Truth will be very evident for all to see. Moreover, it is
becoming more obvious as to who is listening to God, and who is not.
Consider my last dialogue with this man who
claims to be a Christian, yet has rejected a very committed servant of the LORD
God.
"14 January 2008 / 7 Shevat 5768
To Mr. Paul Becker of 'A Voice in
the Wilderness,'
I Am not surprised by your
rejection, but I Am genuinely sorry that you are so offended at me and my
writings.
However, it does concern me (for
your sake), that you have pretty much called me a 'demon-possessed' babbler, and
accused me of being 'dedicated to false doctrine;' all of which proves to me
that you are believing and espousing lies. I know who I Am dedicated to, and I
know what 'Spirit' lives inside of me, and it certainly is not an 'evil spirit.'
But you can go ahead and believe
your lies--that is your choice. I just hope that you have not committed the
'unforgivable sin,' because if you have, there will be no hope for you...
So I will repeat, 'I would be VERY
careful what you say about those who are opposed to your view...Mr. Becker.'
Sincerely,
C. Read
A servant of the Most High God,
and the LORD Jesus Christ!
'For the which cause I also suffer
these things: nevertheless I Am not ashamed: for I know Whom I have believed,
and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him
against that Day.' 2 Timothy 1:12 Amen!"
The Apostasy
is Now!
And for
those who have "eyes to see" it is
quite obvious that the Devil has power to "deceive the very elect" on a grand
scale, and it is just
a matter of Time before it will be "given unto him [Satan] to make war with the
saints, and to overcome them." (Revelation 13:7)
In the course of writing
this article I made the above statement before the terribly brutal massacre of
the little
Amish girls
on 2 October 2006; and after hearing about that horrible incident, it is
even more apparent to me that the Evil One is being unrestrained,
especially over those who are walking in Darkness, and ignorant of his devices.
Amish
communities are to be commended for
their commitment to God, and their desire to be separated from the wicked ways of this
world, but some of their
views about God and the Bible are terribly misguided; and they attribute many things
to God that really should not be!
It was not
God's will for those innocent little girls to be left unprotected and viciously
murdered by that deranged man, as some of the Amish elders suggested. And the LORD God
did not put that sinful desire in the heart of that wicked man who committed
such an evil deed--Satan did!
This reminds me of a
similar situation that took place during the reign of
Antiochus IV Epiphanes--an ancient Greek ruler
that was forcing God's people to reject His Laws and Covenant. A remnant had escaped to the wilderness so
they would not have to comply with the
king's demands, but when they were
pursued and overtaken,
they would not
lift a hand
in their defense due to their reverence for God's Word and His Sabbath, and they
were ruthlessly murdered by the kings men.
I believe God was very pleased that His
people honored His Sabbath, but I also see special situations in God's Word
where it was acceptable to deviate from the "Letter of the Law," to keep the
"Spirit of the Law.
Consider these passages from
the book of Maccabees
to understand why God's people were emboldened to continue the
Maccabean Revolt. And even though there are those who totally discount the
Apocrypha, many of these ancient writings are of great historical and spiritual
value, and worthy of prayerful consideration by those with proper
discernment.
I Maccabees 1:44,49 “For the
king had sent letters by messengers unto Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, that
they should follow the strange laws of the land...To the end they might forget
the Law, [of the Most High God] and change all the ordinances.”
I Maccabees
2:29-41 "Then many
that sought after justice and judgment went down into the wilderness, to dwell
there: both they, and their children, and their wives; and their cattle; because
afflictions increased sore upon them.
Now when it was told the king's
[Antiochus] servants, and the host that was at Jerusalem, in the city of David,
that certain men, who had broken the king's commandment, were gone down into the
secret places in the wilderness, they pursued after them a great number, and
having overtaken them, they camped against them, and made war against them on
the Sabbath day.
And they said unto them, Let
that which ye have done hitherto suffice; come forth, and do according to the
commandment of the king, and ye shall live. But they said, We will not come
forth, neither will we do the king's commandment, to profane the Sabbath day.
So then they gave them the
battle with all speed. Howbeit they answered them not, neither cast they a stone
at them, nor stopped the places where they lay hid; but said, Let us die all in
our innocency: heaven and earth will testify for us, that ye put us to death
wrongfully.
So they rose up against them in
battle on the Sabbath, and they slew them, with their wives and children and
their cattle, to the number of a thousand people.
Now when Mattathias and his
friends understood hereof, they mourned for them right sore. And one of them
said to another, If we all do as our brethren have done, and fight not for our
lives and laws against the heathen, they will now quickly root us out of the
earth. At that time therefore they
decreed, saying, Whosoever shall come to make battle with us on the Sabbath day,
we will fight against him; neither will we die all, as our brethren that were
murdered in the secret places."
Satan hates God and His Laws,
and he hates those who are striving to keep them. Satan
used wicked men to try and force God's people to deny the Divine Covenants back then,
and he has succeeded in getting God's people to "forget the Law, and change all
the ordinances" through false teachings and traditions
initiated by false "Christian" religions.
But consider what Jesus taught
about the Law and the Old Testament:
Matthew
5:17-18 "Think not that I Am come to destroy the Law, or the Prophets: I Am not
come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth
pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law, till all be
fulfilled."
Well, heaven and earth are still here, but long ago, the Roman Church, under
false pretenses, perverted God's Word by declaring that Christians no longer
need to observe Sabbath on the
seventh
day since according to their doctrine it has been replaced with "Sunday worship."
That teaching is a direct violation of
the "Ten Commandments" as given by God to Moses at
Mount Sinai, and no matter how men excuse or justify why it is acceptable to change what God had written in stone, not just once, but twice,
it is a blatant disregard for God's Word.
Exodus 20:8-11
"Remember the Sabbath day, to
keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
But the seventh day is the
sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor
thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle,
nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
For in six days the LORD
made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the
seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it."
Consider this from the
Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church, published at the website of the
Vatican.
"Sunday- fulfillment
of the sabbath
2175 Sunday is expressly distinguished from the sabbath which it follows
chronologically every week; for Christians its ceremonial observance replaces
that of the sabbath.
In Christ's Passover, Sunday fulfills the spiritual
truth of the Jewish sabbath and announces man's eternal rest in God. For
worship under the Law prepared for the mystery of Christ, and what was done
there prefigured some aspects of Christ:107
Those who lived according to the old order of things have come to a new hope,
no longer keeping the sabbath, but the Lord's Day, in which our life is
blessed by him and by his death.108
2176 The
celebration of Sunday observes the moral commandment inscribed by nature in the
human heart to render to God an outward, visible, public, and regular worship
"as a sign of his universal beneficence to all."109
Sunday worship fulfills the moral command of the Old Covenant, taking up its
rhythm and spirit in the weekly celebration of the Creator and Redeemer of his
people. [Please note the
emphasis is mine-C. Read]
107 Cf. 1 Cor 10:11.
108 St. Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Magn. 9, 1: SCh 10, 88.
109 St. Thomas Aquinas, STh II-II 122, 4"
It
would seem that the official
teachings of the Roman Catholic Church is that they are
not obligated to observe Sabbath as defined by God because "Sunday
fulfills the spiritual truth of the Jewish sabbath."
What is all that supposed to mean?!
Such nonsense! The "spiritual truth of the Jewish
sabbath," is that God commanded for it to be honored, and He expects His people to obey--even Today. It is as simple as that.
Since the
resurrection of Jesus took place on the first day of the week, it supposedly
justifies changing the 4th Commandment, but the glorious resurrection of our
Saviour is
irrevocably connected to the
Passover, and it is not contingent upon a certain day of the week,
or the moon.
These
customs
originated in the Roman Catholic Church and continue to be observed Today, even
by non-Catholics.
Please prayerfully consider
the following verses in Light of the fact that the Roman Church is the "entity"
through which the Pope has changed "times and laws."
Daniel 7:25-28a
"And he shall
speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of
the Most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into
his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
But the Judgment shall sit, and
they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the
end.
And the kingdom and dominion, and
the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the
people of the saints of the Most High, whose Kingdom is an everlasting
Kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.
Hitherto is the end of the
matter..."
The "Catholic Catechism" refers
to 1 Corinthians 10:11 in the footnotes, but I don't see where it even substantiates their
position.
1
Corinthians 10:11
"Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they
are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."
I don't know what their point
is, but it is
a clear
indictment against the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church when you read it
in context. Consider these
next few verses that actually condemns the idolatry that is so prevalent in this
"church"
whereby they lead their "faithful" followers to trust in idols, rather than
worship of the true and living God.
1 Corinthians 10:12-14 "Wherefore let him that
thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you
but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer
you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make
a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Wherefore, my dearly beloved,
flee from idolatry."
It
has always been
Satan’s desire to cause men to forget God and His commands, and if you have been "taken in" by
his lies and deceptions whether you are a Catholic, Protestant, Baptist, or any other religion
this may very well be your "way of escape." Only those who call upon
the name of the LORD from a sincere and
repentant heart can be saved!
[Please read "Exposé of 'Christ-mas' and
the True Birth of Jesus Christ," to understand why I Am so against the Roman
Catholic Church.]
Satan originally used the woman to weaken the man, and women are still being
used by him to manipulate men to carry out his evil deeds! Just look at how the
world idolizes
"Mother" Teresa,
a
prominent Roman Catholic nun that
obviously led a deceptive life. Since her death, her
"dark secrets" were recently uncovered for
public view, but they still have her on the fast tract to
"sainthood" if the "Church" has their way.
Considering these statements posted
at the Vatican website:
"The whole of Mother
Teresa’s life and labour bore witness to the joy of loving, the greatness and
dignity of every human person, the value of little things done faithfully and
with love, and the surpassing worth of friendship with God. But there was
another heroic side of this great woman that was revealed only after her death.
Hidden from all eyes, hidden even from those closest to her, was her interior
life marked by an experience of a deep, painful and abiding feeling of being
separated from God, even rejected by Him, along with an ever-increasing
longing for His love. She called her inner experience, “the darkness.” The
“painful night” of her soul, which began around the time she started her
work for the poor and continued to the end of her life, led Mother Teresa to an
ever more profound union with God. Through the darkness she mystically
participated in the thirst of Jesus, in His painful and burning longing for
love, and she shared in the interior desolation of the poor...
Her response to
Jesus’
plea, 'Come be My light,' made her a Missionary of Charity, a 'mother to the
poor,' a symbol of compassion to the world, and a living witness to the
thirsting love of God...
Less than two years after
her death, in view of Mother Teresa’s widespread reputation of holiness and the favours being reported, Pope John Paul II permitted the opening of her Cause of
Canonization."
Consider some
of
"mother" Teresa's own
words:
-
"There
are so many religions and each one has its different ways of following God. I
follow Christ: Jesus is my God, Jesus is my Spouse, Jesus is my Life, Jesus is
my only Love, Jesus is my All in All; Jesus is my Everything."
-
"There
is only one God and He is God to all; therefore it is important that everyone is
seen as equal before God. I’ve always said we should help a Hindu become
a better Hindu, a Muslim become a better Muslim, a Catholic become a better
Catholic..."
-
"The other day I dreamed that
I was at the gates of heaven. And St. Peter said, 'Go back to Earth. There are
no slums up here.'" --
Quoted as telling Prince Michael of Greece in 1996.
-
"One
day I met a lady who was dying of cancer in a most terrible condition. And I
told her, I say, 'You know, this terrible pain is only the kiss of Jesus--a sign
that you have come so close to Jesus on the cross that he can kiss you.' And she
joined her hands together and said, 'Mother Teresa, please tell Jesus to stop
kissing me.'
[An
address at the National Prayer Breakfast Sponsored by the U.S. Senate and House
of Representatives February 3, 1994]
It would seem that it is a virtue to walk in Darkness
rather than a curse, according to documentation that was posted at the Vatican
website, but I hope you will prayerfully consider what God's Word says about it.
John 12:46 "I Am come a
Light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me should not abide in
Darkness."
1 John 1:5-6
"This then is the message
which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is Light, and in Him
is no Darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in
Darkness, we lie, and do not the Truth:"
Luke 11:34-35 "The light
of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also
is full of Light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is
full of Darkness. Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not
Darkness."
2 Corinthians 11:3-4
"But I
fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so
your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if
he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if
ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which
ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him."
1 Corinthians 13:3 "And
though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body
to be burned, and have not charity, [God's love inside of us] it profiteth me nothing."
Proverbs 4:19 "The way of
the wicked is
as Darkness: they know not at what they stumble."
John 3:19 "And
this is the condemnation, that Light is come into the world, and men loved
Darkness rather than Light, because their deeds were evil."
Ephesians 5:11 "And have
no fellowship with the unfruitful works of Darkness, but rather reprove them."
[Emphasis in mine.]
Ms. Teresa's
public and private life were apparently very contradictory,
and
sadly the very "Church"
that she was so devoted to actually led her further into the
Darkness and away from the "Light." They say she even got to the point
in her walk where she
actually "loved the Darkness!"
Reportedly Jesus said to her, "Come be My Light," but
the "true Christ" would not ask such a thing of His followers--Jesus Christ is
the Light, and we need Him to show
us the way
through this very Dark world!
2 Samuel 22:29 "For Thou art my Lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten
my darkness."
It was widely reported that Mother Teresa
did many wonderful "works," and stood for many worthy causes, but as
"current events" reveal she was living a lie, and her "church" is
trying to justify her darkened state.
Dates and events are important with the LORD,
and considering the recent revelations about her "love for the Darkness" it is
intriguing to me that God would lead me to publish my book, "Walking in the True
Light," on 5 September 1997, the very day "Mother" Teresa died.
I Am reminded of some statements relative to my concerns about the Catholic
Church and its leaders that I hope you will prayerfully consider.
Excerpts from
my Proclamation of Faith,
dated 8
May 1993:
"...I would also like to clarify who my
God’s adversary is: He’s
that old Serpent, who is the Devil, and Satan who hates my God and His
saints. He is a very powerful foe! He is the second highest power! And He
has much authority here on earth.
He can kill! He can steal! He can destroy people’s lives! And
that is his primary objective. And his target is God’s people!
You
may not be able to see him, but he works in the children of disobedience. So
don’t under-estimate his abilities. And don’t think for a minute that he
won’t try any way he can to get to you.
He is very sly, wily, crafty, and cunning. And he uses
underhanded and calculated methods to secretly introduce his lies and
deceptions. And He Can Only Operate in Darkness!
For the most part people do not give Satan
credit for many of the things that he does. And he prefers it that way.
He masquerades as a Christian. He pretends he
loves the Lord Jesus. He pretends he serves the Lord Jesus. He claims he
would die for the Lord Jesus. And he uses unholy men to make these
proclamations through the spirit of anti-Christ!
He has deceived many people. And he is working very hard these days because he knows his time is
coming to a close very soon. You will know that is true because the world
will get more and more wicked as you see the Day approaching..."

David Cloud is also an advocate of the
"pre-tribulation" rapture theory, and
he likewise uses speculation, and the "doctrines of men" to support his view
of this controversial subject, rather than
the clear word of God.
Please consider Mr. Cloud's
response to Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye's "Left
Behind" books currently posted at "Way of Life," Cloud's website.
"As entertainment, the books are tolerable; but I believe there is a
serious problem with fictionalizing Bible subjects....Though some spiritual
good might come from the wide distribution of these books (i.e., the
Gospel is clearly presented and Bible prophecy is interpreted literally,)
the false doctrine scattered across their pages is cause for concern."
I find it disturbing that Cloud does not totally reject the "Left Behind" books
which are directly responsible for
much of the doubt, confusion, and lies in regard to the Coming of the LORD and
the Resurrection.
The Apostle Paul
specifically named those who sought to pervert God's Word and mislead God's people;
and the
Resurrection was obviously a controversial subject at that time too.
Please consider these passages.
2 Timothy 2:14-18 “Of
these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the
LORD that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting
of the hearers.
Study to
shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of Truth.
But shun
profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; who
concerning the Truth have erred, saying that the Resurrection is past already;
and overthrow the faith of some.”
2 Timothy 4:2-4 "Preach the word;
be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all
longsuffering and doctrine.
For the time will come when they
will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to
themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their
ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."
The "Left Behind" books are
fictional stories with a measure of Truth, and all they have done is cause great
division among honest Christians. However, Mr. Cloud
does make some interesting observations about the Pope
and the Roman Catholic Church that I would like to highlight.
From Cloud's site: "The books depict the Roman Catholic pope as a
saved man who is taken away in the Rapture. This encourages the ecumenical
movement and its powerful back-to-Rome emphasis... To be saved, the Pope would
have to repent of Rome's unscriptural dogmas and idolatry, including the
blasphemy of his own office (claiming to be the Vicar of Christ, Holy Father,
etc.), and if he were to do that he would no longer be the Pope."
In Cloud's article, "Date Setting and Sign Looking," of
28 October 2003, he states,
"We think it is in vain that Bible teachers are looking into
today's events for information about the Antichrist or Armageddon--"
which in his opinion, "the church-age saints will never see,"
but it is apparent to me that "Cloud's in the Darkness!"
Of course there are
many "prophecy speculators" as Cloud calls them, that are
certainly
not of God, but that is just another sign of the Times; and to ignore true prophecy is a fatal mistake with grave consequences.
Consider more
revealing quotes from Cloud's article mentioned above, which seems to be the
prevailing view of so many sincere Christians.
"The Old Testament prophecies
about Israel's conversion and glorious kingdom look ahead to the 70th week of
Daniel and the second coming of Christ. This present church period is an
interlude. The prophetic clock ticked away through the 69 weeks of Daniel 9,
which are actually weeks of years, then stopped at Christ's death….
During this present interlude in Bible prophecy, 'the church age' as it is
called, Christ is calling out a people for his name from among the heathen.
At the end of this period, true Christians will be caught away to Heaven,
and the prophetic clock will start again and the final week of Daniel 9, a week
of seven years, will be fulfilled. This is also called the Great Tribulation,
and is spoken of in Scriptures such as Matthew 24 and Revelation 4-18.
During the Great Tribulation, also called 'the time of Jacob's trouble,'
unconverted Israel and the world will undergo great torments--judgments from
Heaven and unspeakably horrible wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, and
such. The antichrist will make a peace pact with Israel and will rule the entire
world....
Christians have an entirely different program from that of the nation Israel.
We are never told to look for the fulfillment of Israel's prophecies. Our
work is to carry the Gospel to all peoples. That is the great business of the
Christian and of the churches...
The Christian can know the
general seasons, but we cannot know the time of Christ's return. I don't believe
we can know the year. I don't believe we can even know the decade. In fact, we
cannot be sure even about the century!
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS RESTRAINING
THE DEVIL'S PROGRAM IN THE WORLD, AND THIS IS THE MISSING ELEMENT OF PROPHECY
WHICH MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO KNOW WHEN CHRIST WILL COME. 2 Thess. 2:6-7
says: 'And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: ONLY HE WHO NOW LETTETH WILL LET,
UNTIL HE BE TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY.'
I
BELIEVE THESE VERSES SAY THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS RESTRAINING THE MYSTERY OF
INIQUITY, AND HE WILL RESTRAIN UNTIL HE IS TAKEN UP WITH THE NEW TESTAMENT
SAINTS. THUS, EVEN THOUGH SIGNS ARE SEEMINGLY BEING FULFILLED IN PRESENT
WORLD EVENTS, WE STILL CANNOT KNOW BY OBSERVING THESE EVENTS WHEN CHRIST WILL
RETURN. The Holy Spirit's restraining presence is the missing element. We don't
know to what extent He will restrain the events of history. He has the power to
slow the devil's program down and to keep things from progressing…
We simply will not know the time of His coming. It will be a surprise. We
will not see the Antichrist make his covenant with Israel. We will not see
the Antichrist stand in the temple and announce himself as God. We will
not see the mark of the Beast forced upon the world. We will not see the great judgments
poured out. We will not see the northern power of Ezekiel 38-39 descend upon
Israel and be destroyed by God. We will not see the armies of the world
congregate in the middle east to stand against Christ at Armageddon. Those
events belong to Daniel's 70th week, which is part of Israel's program.
Christians have part in another program altogether, and we need to mind our
business and make sure that the work of the church is fulfilled.
I
fear that there is a lot of time wasted by Christians in the study of current
events, and in trying to find prophetic fulfillment in these events..."
[Please note the emphasis is mine.]
According to David Cloud's
article, "Y2K & Bible Prophesy,"
he has "no confidence in the opinions of prophecy speculators." He says, "Our
job today is not to speculate about current events; it is to get the Gospel to
every creature...," but as I reflect on his words I see that he is missing a
vital link to the Truth of the Gospel, and he does not have a true "spiritual" understanding of God's word
because he is "yet carnal."
1 Corinthians 3:1-3
"And I, brethren, could not speak unto you
as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I
have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to
bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
For ye are yet carnal:
for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye
not carnal, and walk as men?"
Cloud commits the same
mistakes as most "rapture theorists," including Dave Hunt of "The Berean Call."
So as to bolster their views, both Hunt and Cloud have used the following quote
to try and prove that the early Church supported the Pre-Tribulation Rapture:
"For all the saints and Elect of God are gathered,
prior to the Tribulation that is to come, and are taken to the Lord lest they
see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins" (On the
Last Times, the Antichrist, and the End of the World, by Ephraem the Syrian,
A.D. 373).
It's as if that "statement" is supposed to seal it for anyone who might have
lingering doubts about their "rapture view," but who is Ephraem, the Syrian? And
is his word above God's Word? I say absolutely not! God's word is, and always
will be, paramount in my view!
The following discourse from
Mr. Hunt's website, shows how he has compromised the Truth, and has opened the
door for further deception. Please note this Q & A
has since been
removed from "The Berean Call."
The Berean Call: Q & A - January 2006
"Question: You and Tom both wrote good,
factual articles in TBC and did ten radio programs about Rick Warren and The Purpose-Driven Life. Then, at his
invitation, you [Dave] attended a pastors conference at Saddleback, and when you
returned you seemed to have softened
your position. As you know, Warren has had a column in the Ladies’ Home
Journal for nearly a year. I have yet to find the gospel in any of them!
[Emphasis is mine.]
What he does
present is pop psychology exactly like Robert Schuller, yet you say he has
broken all ties with Schuller. Here is just one example from his March 2005
column: 'Self-esteem still wobbly...? These five simple truths will show you
that you don’t need to be perfect to be priceless....
To truly
love yourself, you need to know the five truths that form the basis of a healthy
self-image: Accept yourself; Love yourself; Be true to yourself; Forgive
yourself; Believe in yourself.”
This is
typical of the non-sequiturs Warren offers. He promises five 'truths' but gives
five things to do, none of them a truth. This is pop psychology that even
numerous secular psychologists and psychiatrists have refuted—and it contradicts
the clear teaching of Scripture. Warren’s 'accept...love...be true
to...forgive...believe in yourself' blatantly opposes Christ’s 'except a man
deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me, he cannot be my disciple'
(Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23, etc.).
How can you
say Warren loves the Lord and has a passion for souls when his actions do not
support such a claim? I think many people have been confused by your apparent
change from criticizing Rick Warren to apparently supporting him.
Dave Hunt's Answer: Thank you for your concern. Hearing
Rick in person and talking with him face to face gave me a different opinion
from the one I had formed by reading his books and watching him on video. I
would still say that he is a sincere Christian who genuinely desires the
salvation of souls. That he so seldom, and then usually only obliquely, presents
the gospel is an inexcusable contradiction—but that can be said of many Christian leaders. Joel Osteen has built the largest church in America
(30,000 each weekend) by doing the same thing!
Rick’s
defenders told me that he wanted to gain the attention and trust of Journal
readers before giving them the gospel—but he hasn’t done so. [See Q&A Apr. ’05.]
Instead, as you say, he has given them the lies of pop psychology—again
inexcusable. He can’t be that ignorant-—certainly not after reading the Bible
for years.
I had hoped
through personal contact with Rick to help him. That opportunity seems to have
passed. His huge success makes any admission of error increasingly difficult.
Rick is not
alone in the promotion of psychology’s deadly selfisms. They are now common fare
in the church. Nor is he alone (and perhaps not the worst) in partnering with
Roman Catholics and promoting AA’s occult 12 Steps. That does not excuse
Rick. But shouldn’t we question the commitment to Christ and the gospel on the
part of Billy Graham, Chuck Colson, and Bill Bright (all three praised Sir John
Marks Templeton and his prize for progress toward the Antichrist’s world
religion and failed to give the gospel to the vast and needy audiences when they
accepted that prize), J.I. Packer and every other signatory to ECT,
[Evangelicals and
Catholics Together] Josh
McDowell, David Jeremiah, James Dobson, and every Christian psychologist, and
all who accept and promote their lies? Sadly, Rick is merely a reflection of the
church of today.
I am not
excusing Rick Warren. I believe he is a genuine brother who has been led
into compromise in order to reach a wider audience—but with what? He seems to be
only part of a compromise of biblical truth that has enlisted Christian leaders
as never before in history and is playing into Satan’s plan to produce a
false church for Antichrist.
In his
December 2005 article, Warren encouraged Journal readers to 'offer a taste of
God's peace to those who’ve lost hope...by following the example of Jesus.' It
was good advice for Christians, but deadly deception for unsaved readers. The
Ladies’ Home Journal is one of the ten largest magazines in America with about
14.5 million readers. Millions of women who desperately need the gospel that
will take them to heaven were instead treated to Warren’s P.E.A.C.E. plan to
improve life on earth: 'Plant faith communities [any ‘faith’ will do whose
adherents are willing to follow the plan]; Equip leaders [for earthly secular
tasks]; Assist the poor [for a better life on earth]; Care for the sick [but
what about the soul?]; Educate the next generation [for this brief life].'
We
credit Rick and his wife, Kay, with having tender hearts for the physical needs
of
the poor, uneducated, and dying, and for good works that put many of
us to shame. But we fault them for hiding the gospel from those who need it and who
without it will perish for eternity!
Earnestly Contend,
Dave Hunt"
Hunt has said, "It
seems that the Lord has greatly blessed
and used Rick Warren, and no doubt he is sincere..." but when you
consider all Mr. Hunt has posted at his website, The Berean Call, past
and present, it reveals his total ambiguity towards this "man of P.E.A.C.E." who
has garnered such wide support from
so many people all over the world.
From The Berean Call:
March 2006
Letters
"Dear Mr.
Hunt,
I was deeply
shocked at your response to the question about Rick Warren in January's
Q&A....Your reply seems almost wishy-washy....If Mr. Warren is really a
'sincere
Christian who genuinely desires the salvation of souls,' then why is he not
spreading the Gospel...when he has numerous, beautiful opportunities to reach
millions?...This nonsense about gaining 'the trust of [Ladies'
Home] Journal
readers before giving them the gospel' is just that-nonsense. Peter did not wait
to gain the trust of the crowd before he presented them with the Gospel in Acts
2 and 3....You call psychology's selfisms 'deadly'...yet Mr. Warren...promotes
them. We are supposed to 'hold back those staggering toward the slaughter,' not
help them along by feeding them false doctrine!...Granted that he
is saved, shouldn't someone go and
carry out Matthew 18 with him?...He is endangering people's souls with his
teachings-and aren't people's souls all that matter?...If Mr. Warren is teaching
false doctrines that...will ultimately lead to their eternal damnation, what is
the point in tending to their physical, earthy needs? CR (NJ)"
"Dear
Brother
Dave,
I appreciate
your ministry and enjoy reading TBC....But...after
awhile, your newsletter can become like the 'clanging cymbal' [1 Cor 13].
There's an edge to your words that sometimes sounds like a stodgy old man who
bats a critical eye at any Christian pastor or ministry that doesn't...agree
with you. That's why it was so refreshing to read your reply...regarding Rick
Warren in the Jan '06 issue. For the first time, I saw your heart. You
acknowledged that Rick was a brother in Christ with a heart for the lost but
that you believed he had gotten off course in the midst of his growing
popularity. Wow, I was encouraged. You actually critiqued someone from the
standpoint of love....As a brother in Christ, I would say the biggest challenge
for your ministry is to figure out how to balance "earnestly contending for the
faith" with showing forth...the qualities of love (1 Cor 13:4-7). It is possible
to critique Rick Warren...and at the same time say, 'But you know, Rick is a
brother in Christ with a pastor's heart. The enticement of popularity certainly
has to weigh on him and we need to uphold our brother in prayer that he would
stand strong in the faith even if it costs him some of his ‘followers'.' SF (NJ)"
I
presume Hunt still considers Warren his brother, but due to his
inability to see that he is
a "false teacher" who unabashedly supports fellow false teachers, such as
Eugene Peterson,
author of "The
Message," shows that his judgment is
extremely tainted and cannot be trusted!
After "Walking With The Enemy" for three
years, I learned that not all
who say they are Christians actually are, and not all who claim to be "a
brother is Christ" actually is, and I Am certain Warren is not my
brother.
Hunt's current luke-warm response to
Rick Warren is quite indefensible, and he
is
not
earnestly contending for "the faith which was once delivered unto the saints,"
as he really needs to be.
Jude 1:3-13 “Beloved,
when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was
needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly
contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
For there are certain men
crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly
men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only LORD
God, and our LORD Jesus Christ.
I will therefore put you
in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the LORD, having saved the
people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
And the angels which kept
not their first estate, but left their own habitation, He hath reserved in
everlasting chains under Darkness unto the Judgment of the Great Day.
Even as Sodom and
Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to
fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example,
suffering the vengeance of Eternal Fire.
Likewise also these
filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of
dignities. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the Devil he disputed
about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but
said, The LORD rebuke thee.
But these speak evil of
those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts,
in those things they corrupt themselves. Woe unto them! For they have gone in
the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and
perished in the gainsaying of Core.
These are spots in your
feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear:
clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit
withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; raging waves of
the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the
Blackness of Darkness for ever.”
Dave
Hunt ought to be outraged at the "false teachers" who
are leading so many of God's people astray, and it is no coincidence that he has
been "silenced" after meeting with those who serve the Adversary!
He
does not seem to fully understand that Rick Warren is not led by the
"true" Christ, but is subject unto a "false-christ!"
Hunt
even said in so many words, that Warren is "partnering with Roman
Catholic's," as he is led by Satan "to produce a false Church for
Anti-Christ!"
Hunt, Cloud,
and Becker
are blind
to what is taking place right before their eyes, and
instead of
preparing
people for these Final Days, and the Coming of the LORD, they are a mouth piece for the Enemy!
And those who keep on believing as they do are in for some serious consequences.
The
errors and miscalculations of others
has brought about some of the greatest tragedy's of our day, as demonstrated
by the terribly tragic
plane crash in Lexington, Kentucky of
Flight 5191, at Blue Grass Airport.
God
led me to start this article on the very day that tragedy took place,
and I had already chosen the title before I heard about the "fatal error"
that caused
the deaths of the 49 souls who perished that day. It was a very somber confirmation
that it was Time to address this vital issue.
It appears that in 1993
another commercial jet at the same airport was cleared for takeoff on Runway
22, but mistakenly took Runway 26 just like Flight 5191. Fortunately for
that flight the Control Tower personnel noticed the mistake and cancelled the
aircraft's clearance just as the crew also realized their error, and they
subsequently made a safe takeoff from Runway 22. Only God knows how many others made the same
error, but corrected it at the last minute. And considering
the recent tragedy of today, the problem
that caused them to make the mistake in the first place had not even been dealt
with
after 13 years!
The
World Trade Center bombing of 26 February 1993, in New York City, was
another major warning that went unheeded, and the destruction was completed on
11 September 2001, the Day everything changed.
The year
1993 is also when a major "shake-up" began in the churches, and things are
much
more serious than before. A
misstep can prove fatal in this Day and Age, and we never know when the Final Judgment will come, but it is
a Day that we desperately need to be ready for.
Hebrews 12:25-29 "See
that ye refuse not Him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused Him
that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn
away from Him that speaketh from Heaven: Whose Voice then shook the
earth: but now He hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth
only, but also Heaven.
And this word, Yet
once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things
that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Wherefore we receiving a
kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God
acceptably with reverence and Godly fear: For our God is a consuming
fire."
For every "natural"
occurrence, there is always a "spiritual" explanation, and if Satan is
involved, the results will be devastating regardless of whether it is understood
by the intended victim. So is the nature of sin in a world full of hurting people
dying inside, but not really knowing why.
I understand all too well
the consequences of being led into deception, and how distressing it
is to find out you are wrong, when you thought you were so right. It is
especially egregious when it pertains to eternal matters, but
Satan and those who hate God, will receive a just reward for all they have said
and done
against God and His people.
2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 "Seeing
it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that
trouble you; and to you who are troubled rest with us, when the LORD Jesus shall
be revealed from Heaven with His mighty angels,
in
flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey
not the gospel of our LORD Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the LORD, and from the glory of His power; when
He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that
believe (because our Testimony among you was believed) in that Day."
God knew His people would be vulnerable to the lying schemes of Satan,
and that many would fall into his trap,
especially in these Final Days; but praise
God, He made a way of escape for those willing to take it.
Hebrews 12:1-14, "Wherefore
seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us
lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us,
and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto
Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was
set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the
right hand of the Throne of God.
For consider Him that
endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and
faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
And ye have forgotten the
exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou
the chastening of the LORD, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him:
For whom the LORD loveth
He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening,
God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the Father chasteneth
not? But if ye be without
chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Furthermore we have had
fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them
reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of Spirits,
and live?
For they verily for a few
days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit,
that we might be partakers of His Holiness.
Now no chastening for the
present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth
the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Wherefore lift up the
hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your
feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be
healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man
shall see the LORD:"
"Pre-Tribulation Rapture"
advocates
use Revelation 3:7-13 to support the belief that they will not be here during
"the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world to try them that
dwell upon the earth;" however, if you study the original language of that
passage it says nothing about being removed
from this earth, but that God would guard and protect those who faithfully kept His
word.
Do you live by every word
that proceeds from the mouth of God? Are you ready for the Great White Throne of
Judgment, when the Books will be opened that contain all of your works to be
examined? Are you absolutely certain that your name is in the
Book of Life?
God demands our complete
allegiance, and He knows if your faith in
the LORD Jesus Christ is true. I ask you, do you really know Him? Are you
able to hear His wonderful Voice? Do you faithfully obey Him? Or are you
believing lies in place of the Truth?
There are some things about God's word we cannot be too dogmatic about because there
are many factors involved that we don't know yet. I readily admit I
don't know exactly how everything will play out, but God has given me an
understanding about many things, and
Jesus has said that we need to be prepared for whatever may come.
God's
Truth will prevail, whether we understand all of it or not, but
the Devil
wants God's people to be totally unprepared, and he would love for the Coming of
the LORD to overwhelm us as in a flood, or to over-take us like a "thief in the
night," but not so with the LORD--He desires for us to walk closely with Him so
we will be ready for that Day.
I was asked a very
intriguing question in response to this article when it was first published
at my site on 20 October 2006. The question was, "Right now, I have one question
for you: please relate what your role will be at the Great White Throne
Judgment. I have seen several references to this event in your writings."
It is difficult for me to emphatically state what
will happen after death, but based on the understanding that God has put in my heart, I
believe that when a person dies, and depending on their relationship with God, they will
either go to Heaven, Hell, or the grave.
However, not until after
the Devil has been cast into the Lake of Fire, and heaven and earth has fled
away before the presence of God will the Great White Throne appear, and then
those who "sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life,
and some to shame and everlasting contempt." (See Daniel 12:2 & I Thessalonians
4:14-18)
"The Final Judgment"
is when all men will give an account of their lives before the One who sits upon
the Throne, and will
receive a reward for what they did on this earth, whether it be good or whether
it be evil.
And for those whose names are not found written in the "Book of Life," they will
join the Devil and his angels; but for those whose names are inscribed in the
"Book of Life," they will live forever in Heaven.
There's
another dimension to the Great White Throne that is important to see. The true saints of God who
"hath part in the first resurrection" and "overcame" the
lies of the Wicked One "by the blood of the Lamb," and by the word of
their Testimony, will be standing right beside the glorious One as
a "pillar in His Temple"
on that great and dreadful Day of the LORD, and will remain in His presence
forever.
Of course, it is solely dependent upon God as to what
my future holds, and what my role
in Heaven will be, but I hope to have a place in God's Throne Room. Nonetheless,
I Am content
with whatever God has for me. Just being apart of His glorious Kingdom is joy
enough!
We must keep in mind that
Satan greatly desires to destroy all that God has planned, and
these verses explain how he has been able to misled so
many regarding the coming of the LORD, and the end of
the world.
Matthew 13:24-30 "Another
parable put He forth unto them, saying, The Kingdom of Heaven is likened unto a
man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his Enemy came
and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung
up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
So the servants of the
householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy
field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An Enemy hath done
this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them
up?
But he said, Nay; lest
while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow
together until the Harvest: and in the Time of Harvest I will say
to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in
bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."
Matthew 13:36-43 "Then Jesus sent the
multitude away, and went into the house: and His disciples came unto Him,
saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
He answered and said unto
them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world;
the good seed are the children of the Kingdom; but the tares are the children
of the Wicked One;
The Enemy that sowed
them is the Devil; the Harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are
the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall
it be in the end of this world.
The Son of man shall send
forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His Kingdom all things that
offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire:
there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the Righteous shine
forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let
him hear."
According to God's Word, the "children of the
Wicked One" are the ones who are first "gathered and burned in the fire," which
is quite contrary to what is taught by the "Pre-Tribulation Rapture" advocates.
One thing that is very certain, on the Final Judgment Day, this wicked world
will certainly pass away "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,
and we shall be changed." (1 Corinthians 15:52) And if
your affections are set on the things of this earth, rather than on the things
above, you will be greatly ashamed when you meet the LORD face to face on that
Day!
Only
those who are willing to give their lives for the cause of Christ will be
granted the great privilege and honor to be a permanent member in the Throne
Room of God, and
I hope if I Am ever put to the ultimate test that I will fulfill the
call. As God has said, "Many are called, but few are chosen," and I
would love to be among the "chosen few."
As I mentioned above, there are many factors we just don't know yet, and sometimes
we won't understand until it comes to pass. God meant it that way, so that the
Wicked One would not fully know His plan.
The following passages from
the Holy Scriptures were written long ago, but they are actually more relevant
Today than they were yesterday, and only through God can we
truly understand their link to the future.
Daniel 4b-10
"many
shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
Then I
Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the
bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river. And
one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of
the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?
And I heard the man
clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up
his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for
ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall
have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things
shall be finished.
And I heard, but I
understood not: then said I, O my LORD, what shall be the end of these
things? And He said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up
and sealed till the time of The End.
Many shall be purified,
and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the
wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand."
Revelation 6:9-11
"And when He had
opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain
for the word of God, and for the Testimony which they held: And they cried with
a loud voice, saying, How long, O LORD, holy and true, dost Thou not Judge and
avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
And white robes were given
unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for
a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that
should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled."
Revelation 20:4-6
"And
I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and Judgment was given unto them: and
I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for
the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image,
neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands;
and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
But the rest of the dead
lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first
resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first
resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests
of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years."
Revelation 20:10-15
"And
the Devil that deceived them was cast into the Lake of Fire and brimstone, where
the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night
for ever and ever.
And I saw a Great White
Throne, and Him that sat on it, from Whose face the earth and the heaven fled
away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and
great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another Book was opened,
which is the Book of Life: and the dead were judged out of those things
which were written in the books, according to their works.
And the sea gave up the
dead which were in it; and Death and Hell delivered up the dead which were in
them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
And Death and Hell were
cast into the Lake of Fire. This is the Second Death. And whosoever was not
found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire."
Lets suppose
you still believe that you will never face the anti-Christ, because you are
sure you will be "raptured" before that dreadful Time; but what if it becomes mandatory that in order to buy or sell you
must have a
micro-chip
implanted into your hand or your forehead with your personal information
on it? And if you don't comply, you die?
That
will be your moment of Truth, and you will finally realize that you have been
involved in the greatest deception of the Ages! That is, if you are a true
Christian, and your name is written in the Book of Life. Otherwise, you will
just take the "mark," and continue on your way down the well traveled road
that leads to death,
Hell, and destruction.
This
reminds me of the Sago
Mine Disaster, of 2 January 2006, when the families were initially told that
all but one man survived, but the reality
was that twelve coal miners died, and there was only one survivor.
I remember how enraged some of the people became when they found out that their loved
ones were dead, after being told they were alive. And even
though the message did not
originate from an official source, at that point it really didn't matter who told
the lie. Those poor souls were in such misery when they realized it was
all a terrible mistake!
How much more the anguish if someone was to find out at the gates of Heaven that
they are not allowed in, when all along they really believed that they would be?! Even worse, what about the endless agony they will experience when they
realize it could have been prevented had they only believed the Truth when it
was presented to them?!
False teachers, liars,
hypocrites, corrupters of God's Word, and all who belong to
counterfeit religions
will be among that number of lost and rejected souls that will be denied entry
into God's Kingdom; and only those who truly love
God and obey the Gospel will be
granted access.
Cloud and
many other "misguided" souls have predicted "the next global event on the prophetic
timetable is the Rapture," but according to God's word and what He has said
to me, I believe that is "false prophecy."
I also used to believe the lie that it really didn't matter what our views were on the "Rapture,"
because the truth would eventually come out; but after much prayerful study
on this topic, I see that
it is
imperative to expose the "fatal error" of this false teaching while there is still time.
If
you remain in the Dark, you will never come to the Light. And only by Walking in
the "True Light" can you genuinely know
the Truth! And
the most important question of the hour is: Do you truly love the Truth?
Please
seriously consider the dire consequences of rejecting the Truth, and realize
that sin is the doorway into the Darkness, and sin of any kind will surely obscure your view of the Truth.
2 Thessalonians
2:10-12 "And
with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they
received not the love of the Truth, that they might be saved.
And for this cause God shall
send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might
be damned who believed not the Truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
After doing an in-depth study
of the "rapture," I discovered that the word
"might" in the above verses are not even in the original language, and this is how it reads
"word for word" from the Greek text.
My
Greek
View
of 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12
"And with all deceivableness of the unrighteousness in them that perish, because
the love of the Truth not received, that they be saved therewith.
And for this cause
therefore, shall send to them of God, strong delusion to those that believe
they that lie, so that damned be all who do
not believe the Truth, but officially sanction, approve, or authorize the
injustice."
It has been said
that once you have the "knowledge," then you will be held accountable for
what you heard, but according to God's Holy Word, if you call yourself a man or
woman of God, you are already accountable for every word that has proceeded from
the mouth of God.
God's word has been written, His beloved Son
lived it out, and those who are "born again" have been given His Holy Spirit. Thus,
there is no excuse for not doing God's will; yet regretfully many
will perish for lack of knowledge, not only because they believed the lies of
man, but also because they fell into the trap of the Wicked One.
At the "Appointed Time," according to God's prophetic word,
Satan will
finally be put down; but before then, those who hate
My Real Father and His
Son, will come to world-wide power, and the Bishop of Rome will demand
complete allegiance..., but praise God, it is only for a Season!
One final note from my Testimony of
Walking With The Enemy:
"Most people don't acknowledge God or give
Him credit for what He does either. You may not be able to see Him, but He works
in the children of obedience. So don't under-estimate His power and abilities
either.
And don't think for a minute that He won't
save those who truly love and belong to Him. He is very loving, kind, gentle,
compassionate, merciful, and so forgiving. He is truly an awesome God!
He uses honesty, sincerity, and Truth to
present Himself to us. And there is only One Way that He can come into your
life. That Doorway is Yeshua HaMashiach--Jesus, the Christ!
And He can only operate in the Light!" The "True Light" that is!
Satan is the great deceiver who wants to lead men into the Darkness, so that he
can ultimately lead them to the Lake of Fire for all eternity! And
I pray it's not too late for those who have gotten off the intended path and
have lost sight of the LORD. It is my sincere hope and prayer that one day
Cloud, Hunt,
and Becker will see the Truth, and love it!
I invite you
to read "My Rapture View,
which dispels more of the lies spoken in the name of the LORD. And if you are
one who is willing to "earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered
unto the saints," I hope you will join me in this "war of words."
If you believe that you can pick and choose which books of the Bible apply to
the Church, as Cloud and others have done with Revelation and the book of
Matthew, you need to seriously consider
what God says.
Proverbs 30:5-6 "Every
word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust
in Him. Add thou not unto His words, lest He reprove thee, and thou be found a
liar."
When you
really scrutinize Cloud's arguments in Light of the Scriptures,
many of his opinions on the "Rapture" are
based on "doctrines of men," whereby they have "added to" God's Word
to justify their position.
Moreover, there
are those who use the final passage from the Book of Revelation to say that God
cannot speak to His people Today, but that is another cleverly devised lie to keep God's people from the Truth.
Prayerfully consider the first and last
passage from the Final book in the Bible which is very comforting to those who
know and love the Truth, but a very serious admonition for those who "add to" or
"take away" from the "prophecies" that were written in this book of Revelation,
that God asked His servant John to write down and send to the churches.
Revelation 22:7, 18-21 "Behold,
I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the Prophecy of
this Book...
For I testify unto every man that heareth the
words of the Prophecy of this Book, If any man shall add unto these things,
God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this Book:
And if any man shall take away from the words of the Book
of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life, and out
of the Holy City, and from the things which are written in this Book.
He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come
quickly. Amen. Even so, come, LORD Jesus.
The grace of our LORD Jesus Christ be with
you all. Amen."

Addendum to "The Fatal Error"
10
August 2008 / 9
AV 5768
Tonight begins the commemoration of
Tisha B'Av,
the day which has been called the saddest day in Jewish History. It is a very
solemn day for many religious Jews, and according to tradition, both of the
Jewish Temples in Jerusalem were destroyed on the 9th Day of Av!
Reportedly, the first one was
burned by a Babylonian general during Nebuchadnezzar’s reign in the year 586 BC,
and the second Temple was completely destroyed by the Romans under the command
of Titus during the Jewish revolt in 70 AD.
These magnificent buildings
represented God’s presence in the midst of His chosen people; and because the
destruction of these Holy sites were to have occurred on this day, the 9th Day
of Av is justifiably a day of great mourning for all who memorialize this day.
We no longer need man-made
buildings to experience the presence of Almighty God in our lives, and if you
allow the LORD to purify your heart, He may choose to make His habitation with
you!
But it can only happen through
Emmanuel, the Messiah—the Holy One of Israel! And in order for God to cleanse
and forgive you of your sins, you must accept the great sacrifice of
Jesus Christ, when God gave His only begotten Son for the "sin" of this world,
and raised Him from the dead.
We are at a turning point in the
war between God and the Devil, and it won’t be long before Death will finally be
swallowed up in Victory! Praise the precious and mighty name of Yeshua
HaMashiach, the LORD Jesus Christ, the true "Anointed One!"
The coming of the LORD has indeed
inflicted a most serious and fatal blow to the Enemy; and by God’s direction,
the Testimony of Jesus will be the contributing factor in the downfall of
Satan’s Kingdom.
1 Corinthians 15:51-58
"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be
changed,
In a moment, in the twinkling
of an eye, at the Last Trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be
raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
For this corruptible must put
on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this
corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on
immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is
swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is thy
sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin;
and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which
giveth us the victory through our LORD Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved
brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the LORD,
forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the LORD."
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